


Family Doesn't Stop At Blood [SBI family dynamic fic]

by Fanfiction_Corner



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Sleepy Bois Inc
Genre: Adopted, Angst, Blood, Dadza, Denial, FIGHT ME ITS AN AU STORYLINE, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Fighting, Five Stages of Grief, Found Family, Gore, Harm to Children, Hearing Voices, Kidnapping, MCD, Minecraft lore, Murder, Nether, Not completely following canon, Orphans, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parental Role, Sleepy Bois Inc Angst, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Sorry Not Sorry, Surprise Adoption, Sword Fighting, This is an AU, Training, Twins Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Violence, Zombies, depressive shit here folks, greif, i made my beta readers cry, philza goes momentarily crazy, philza hears voices, piglin techno, shapeshifter techno, sleepy bois inc - Freeform, sleepy bois inc found family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28020600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanfiction_Corner/pseuds/Fanfiction_Corner
Summary: Phil was a retired adventurer, getting tired of the feeling that he was on the edge of death. so after a retirement scheme and a few years of lame monotonous life, he listens to a travellers story and decides to see what it's about. finding himself at a broken portal standing over an injured baby piglin. life couldn't get any stranger after that.
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Phil Watson, Dave | Technoblade & TommyInnit, Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot, Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 86
Kudos: 476





	1. Chapter 1 - Crumbling Portals

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Phil accidentally becomes a father - A series of short SBI Found Family stories](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26805442) by [CagedPuddle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CagedPuddle/pseuds/CagedPuddle). 



> This is a story im throwing out at 3 am because I felt like it. it's inspired by CagedPuddle's story about the SBI bois in a way. they motivated me to start this so big pogs for them!  
> I hope you enjoy it! I've done minimal research and concept art for this  
> (I am aware that Technoblade disowns the idea of the SBI family dynamic. this was started before he said that and I like the story so ima keep it going as an au thing <3)
> 
> »»——⍟——««
> 
> word count: 1969  
> posted on: 12/12/2020 02:41AM

The late summer sun beat down heat like flamethrowers, sizzling the sand beneath its rays and threatening to turn it to glass. The vivid blue, cloudless sky stretching across the desert giving no help to the man as he was relentlessly sizzled close to cooking as he walking across the vast landscape. Raising a sleeved arm to wipe the dripping sweat from his overheated forehead, Phil released a sigh. Regretting the idea that had the audacity to grace his mind, the daring idea to scope out the unseen part of the desert he lives beside. Hearing a tale from the travelling man who stops by on occasion, that there were ruins in this direction.

  
He had been an adventurer, he had been in heat similar to this within the nether realm. But after a few years of retirement, it’s like stepping through the portal for the first time all over again. He could almost hear the bubbling magma in the back of his mind already, the anxiety creeping up behind him at the fear of a ghast cry or the grunt of a piglin. This was one of the reasons he retired. The anxiety of death was scouring his mind relentlessly every time he stepped outside to fish or feed his cattle, having him resort to moving away to a village close by to a desert. And after pushing back his itching need to explore his surroundings he built himself a comfortable home on the village outskirts and stationed himself there with a large fence and roof inside for him, his cat and a few cattle. It was nice, he enjoyed the company of occasional tea with the traveller and visiting the village library or just fishing by the river. Yet after years of the same routine, it became agonising. So he gave in to his past instincts and made his way into the desert for a quick look, hoping to see if there’s loot in the vicinity to quench his adventure thirst.

  
So that’s where Phil was, walking through a desert with fewer supplies than what he would bring when he was younger. He had definitely lost his touch, it was almost disheartening but not enough to stop him from going. His dull sapphire eyes stared off into the heat waved distance with his last bit of adventurers hope dripping from him he groaned. Feeling like a fool for humouring the story. Phil stopped walking, collapsing into a sitting position in the scorching sand. Digging a hand into his satchel, happily nicknamed his ‘inventory’, to drag out his water canteen and unscrew the cap to take a drink. Shuddering as the warm liquid slid down his throat, feeling an intense need for cold right about now. His eyes moving across the area around him to spot something, anything! Of importance. But nope, nada, nothing. He was tolled a tall tale that cost him his precious time of doing nothing.

  
His mind was humming on the idea of heading home when he heard the familiar sounds of an individual leaving a nether portal, his eyes widening and he shot up from where he sat. sloppily capping his water and shoving it into his inventory before shooting off on tired feet in the direction of the sound. Making his way up a sand mountain, standing on top out of breath only to see the crumbling remains of a portal. It’s purple gate slowly fading and glitching as the aged obsidian crumbled, finally a chunk fell and the portal ceased.

  
With laboured breath, Phil slid down the sand mountain, stumbling at the bottom a bit. Catching himself from getting a faceful of sand, the blonde stood there in awe of the scene a newly crumbling portal stood before him, the obsidian already starting to cry in certain places from the magic recoil of the smashing portal. He hesitantly stepped towards it, avoiding the bubbling sections of lava and magma as he stepped onto the netherack that corrupted the sand. Looking through the portal his already surprised eyes widened more at the sight.

  
Laying on the sand on the other side of the broken portal, trembling and curled up into a ball was a child. Or what seemed to be a child. It had fur, hooves, ragged brown clothes and despite them being hidden by ragged brown hair, pig ears. It was a piglin. A piglin with hair? Phil moved a hand hesitantly to the hilt of his sword, stepping through the portal, his eye trained cautiously on the figure. He heard faint whimpers, causing worry to surprisingly fill his chest. His hand falling from his sword as he took a few steps closer, hesitant to speak.

  
“Hey..” he spoke softly, watching the child as its head shot up in surprise and its eyes stared at Phil with immense fear. For a moment it was frozen, still trembling before it shot up onto its feet, ready to shoot off in a sprint before it ultimately collapsed again. Phil’s eyes were filled with worry as he saw the piglin in full, seeing the deep crimson red injury that dripped down the poor thing’s leg. Without hesitation, Phil shot forward, kneeling down and using an arm to support it.

  
“Hey, no, its okay im here to help.” the words fell from his mouth before he could even comprehend it. Was he going to help it? Apparently yes, as he made eye contact with the child, seeing it visibly relax against him after he spoke. Prompting Phil to dig into his inventory to find a potion he had brought that could heal it with. Feeling the glass against his fingertips he pulled the bottle from the cluttered bag and opening it with his thumb before offering it to the injured piglin. Seeing as it eyes the bottle hesitantly before slowly taking it in its hands and bringing it to its mouth to drink the liquid, watching as almost instantly the wound healed, leaving dried blood to clump within its fur.

  
A sigh escaped Phil as he took the empty bottle back and slipped it back into his bag, looking over the child for any injuries that may have been missed if that was even possible. His eyes soon moving to meet the child’s, seeing the trust radiating from its gaze made him speechless. Within all his years he has never been on friendly terms with a piglin, they never spoke much English and never got close enough for him to touch them. It was strange, the piglin child was strange. Piglins never had hair, they never left the nether and they stayed within their packs. Now here he was cradling a piglin child, with hair, that left a crumbling nether portal and left its pack.

  
“Uh…” Phil hesitated, averting his gaze and gently moving the child so it could stand by itself. “There, all better..” he spoke softly with a smile, watching as it stood shakily. Looking down at its previously injured leg before taking a step back to test if it could walk. Finding that it could, a happy noise escaped it and it took a few more steps back before running around excitedly.

  
A chuckle escaped Phil and he stood, his smile softening as he watched it celebrate its healed injury. A new feeling filling him as he watched, his smile soon falling as it dawned on him. This piglin child was alone now, it would surely die out here in the desert for a variety of reasons. Phil was either going to have to take it or leave it here. The thought was gutwrenching, abandoning this strange child after healing its injury. The feeling of regret raising in his mind but he pushed it down with a breath, thinking it was better to ignore such thoughts in favour of thinking on the piglins safety.

  
“Kid” he spoke, catching its attention. It stopped its running and turned to look at him with a curious noise. “You’re stuck out here now huh?” Phil asked, crossing his arms and letting his calm smile returned. Seeing as it nodded slowly, visibly its mood dropped upon the questioning.

  
“Then… how about you come with me for now, im sure I can help you find your way back into the nether. I know places” he suggested, kneeling down to meet the piglin’s height. “Does that sound alright?” he asked, holding a hand out to the child in hopes it accepts his offer.

  
The piglin blinked at him, the cogs turning in its brain. Sooner than thought, it walked over to Phil and placed its trotter into Phils. A smile appearing on its face as it bounced happily on its newly healed legs and letting out a few happy grunts, causing Phil’s smile to widen.

  
“Nice, it’s a long walk, it would be easier to carry you. Is that alright?” he questioned softly, earning a small nod from the animal. Letting Phil move to lift the piglin up and let it sit on his arm as he held it up, feeling it wrap an arm around his shoulder for support.

  
Phil then started his adventure back home in the blinding heat of the now setting sun, a warm feeling in his chest as he carried this child back to his home. Mind racing over how he would bring it home or even if he was going to keep it… it… in his mind, he kept referring to the child as ‘it’… no, it was a he. He was going to stay with Phil until they figure something out.

»»——⍟——««

Rain pelted the window panes, filling the night with a soft ambience to accompany the flickering flames of a fire. The soft amber glow washing over the couch and the sleeping form lying beneath a blanket, its soft snores being heard from the kitchen table across the room. Candlelight filling in the shadows on the other side of the room, allowing the blonde to read the words written within one of the many books on nether creatures he decided to nab from the library before returning home with the piglin child, thankful that the librarian understood his situation and after a brief calm introduction agreed to help Phil on his research. Accompanying the many, many books on the table, was parenting novels. Picked out on the chance that Phil can’t find a proper way of returning him home.

  
With a tired sigh, Phil closed the leather-bound book he had been trying to read. Feeling the bags gather under his eyes already from his unusual lack of sleep. Expecting the sun to rise at any second, he stood, quietly picking up the candle holder and walking to check on the piglin. Looking over the back of the couch to see its sleeping form, a soft smile gracing Phil’s features again upon seeing him. Reaching down to softly pet his head with a surprising amount of fondness, the warm feeling returning to his chest, something that had returned when he had picked up the parenting novel.  
With a small sigh, he took his hand back from the child, moving away from the couch to head to his bedroom. Feeling that it was best to rest before sunrise anywho, he worked better after a good rest. Knowing that in the morning he would have to figure things out with the kid, feeling slight dread for the upcoming stress of communicating with something- someone that couldn’t speak.

  
Slipping his shirt off of his shoulders he soon collapsed into the welcoming warmth of his bed, a satisfied sigh escaping him as he practically melted into the mattress and pillow. Slipping away into a dreamless sleep almost instantly, satisfying his tired brain. Waiting to wake to more responsibilities when the sun rose and the child woke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers:  
> Blue  
> Potat  
> Ethan


	2. Chapter 2 - Teacher Phil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil Teaches, Phil learns. all in a morning full of shenanigans and chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one that toom a bit, the second chapter is always the hardest for me. but thank you to everyone for giving the Kudo's and bookmarking this, it means a lot to me uwu  
> thank you to my friend blue for reading this for me before I published it, she's great!
> 
> »»——⍟——««
> 
> Word Count: 2444  
> Posted: 13/12/2020 11 Pm

A soft groan escaped the blonde as he turned in his bed, feeling the morning warmth start to boil him. Wishing that he could sleep longer, but he knew that the summer sun wouldn’t stop its relentless attack through his bedroom window anytime soon. reluctantly, he sat up, bringing a hand up to run his fingers through his messy bed hair. His tired mind loading in the thoughts of the day when he remembered, there was a piglin child in his home. A sigh escaped him, the feelings of the previous day that where forgotten overnight hit him all at once. His heartfelt full, well, more full than it was before. It made him smile, the warm feeling of sitting beside a campfire in winter filling his soul. It was comforting, he liked it. And to think it was brought on by taking in an injured piglin child was - 

A loud crash and a thud echoed throughout the house, followed by silence. Phil practically shot out of bed, slamming into his bedroom door before swinging it open and running out into the living space. Breathless as he frantically looked around for the source, the piglin, the intruder?! Then he saw him. Sitting on the floor, wrapped in his blanket and coated with a layer of dirt was the child. surrounding him was a broken plant pot, the plant that had previously been in it and a few books from the packed bookshelf. Phil hadn’t even processed what happened before he went over to the child and scooped him up in his arms, breath still short as he looked down at the black rose as it layed in the remains of its home.

“Holy crap…” Phil muttered, turning his head to the piglin in his arms who now stared at him with wide-eyed admiration and a broad smile, it caught Phil off guard. This was… not what he expected, an awkward smile crept its way onto Phil’s face as he walked to the couch and set the piglin down. “You’re not hurt are you? How did the flower even fall?” he quizzed, reaching down to pat the child’s head. The piglin shaking his head to confirm he was okay, letting Phil relax his nerves before walking over to inspect the damages. 

Kneeling down by the remains of the wither rose and its pot, Phil picked up a broken piece, inspecting it before looking up to the bookshelf itself. His eyes travelled across the black and purple egg that sat on top and the ash grey skull residing beside it down to the golden crown sitting beside the empty space that was reserved for the flower. Below those where the potions and a basket of golden apples, then where shelves of books and music discs. Phil’s eyes narrowed on the crown before turning to look at the back of the couch, seeing a familiar piglin face peering back at him. 

“Did… did you climb the shelves, kid?” Phil asked, the suspicion clear in his voice. Watching the piglin as it nodded with a smile before pointing up at the shelves, Phil following his point to see none other than the golden crown. It then hit Phil, piglins like gold. Letting out a huff, Phil stood and reached up to gently grab the headdress. Turning to place it on the kids head with a small smile. “Sure, you can have it. Just keep it safe, okay?” 

The piglin let out a happy squeal, bringing its hands up to support the oversized crown on his head before sitting down on the couch. The sight only making a warm feeling find Phil’s heart again, his smile softening. Tearing his eyes away from the child, he made his way to his supply room to grab the supplies needed to clean the mess. Making his way back to re-pot the flower and place it back before cleaning up the dirt and shards of ceramic. Then moving to throw the remnants away, looking back to where the piglin once was only to find the crowned child at the bookshelf again, inspecting the many music disks he had collected. 

“Want to listen to some music?” Phil asked, making his way over to the small being as it looks over to him, giving a small nod before taking a random disk from the shelf and holding it out to Phil. taking it from the piglins trotter, Phil tilted it to see what it was, nodding then moving to put it in his jukebox before turning it on. “This one’s called mellohi, good choice” Phil complimented, turning the music down enough to speak calmly to the small child, looking down to see the piglin stood beside him. 

“Hungry?” he asked, earning a nod in return. So with his now usual soft smile, he makes his way to the kitchen. Seeing the piglin move to sit at the book cluttered kitchen table while he waited for the food, still wearing the golden crown and wrapped in the red blanket. Looking away from the kid, Phil rummaged through his cupboards before settling on eggs for breakfast. Grabbing the pan and eggs, he turned on the stove and set the pan over the flames, adding a splash of oil before cracking the eggs into it when its temperature was hot enough. 

He glanced towards the kid, seeing him supposedly reading a book he had opened before him. Sucked into his reading with the melancholic tune of mellohi plays in the background. A smile finds its way onto Phil’s face yet again, it felt nice to get into an almost family-like state. Phil taking care of a child, even if it wasn’t his kid, it was nice. The parenting novel seemed a lot more appealing now, turning his head away, Phil resumed cooking up breakfast for the two. 

“Foods ready” Phil spoke, scraping the eggs onto the toast he had also decided to prepare that were separated onto two plates. Placing the pan into the sink before picking up the warm plates, turning to look back over to techno only to drop them. The sound of smashing filling the kitchen as he stared wide-eyed at the piglin-human-child- **what the fuck?!**

There, sat at the kitchen table, now staring at Phil in confusion from the sound of smashing, is a human.. Ish… child. Their hair the same messy mop, eyes the same pinkish-red, still with tusk-like teeth that slightly show. It was a _human boy_. No more fur, no more pig snout, no more trotters and no more ears. Normal nose, normal hands, slightly pointed human-like ears. It was _human_. 

Releasing a shaky breath, Phil grabbed the counter behind him to support himself, eyes not leaving the kid as it tilted its head in confusion at Phil. it was… it was a shock, to say the least. Phil’s world was swirling around him as he tried to process, he was zoning out when a tug at his trouser leg. Looking down he saw the child again, it was looking up at him with worry glistening in its eye’s. When did he get there? How long was he zones out? 

Another shaky breath left Phil before he cautiously knelt down to the child’s height, his awkward smile returning from earlier as he gently took its hand in his. Raising it so it could see. “So… what happened to the uh… pig hands and fur?” he asked, uncertainty practically dripping from his shaky voice. The realisation clearly setting in on the child who made a small noise, similar to a soft ‘ah’ before shaking its head. 

Within those few shakes of the child’s messy hair, the hand that rested in Phil’s suddenly shrunk into its fur-covered three-fingered state. Phil’s eyes widened as he stared at it, soon looking back to the child’s face, only to see what he had become familiar with over the past day or so. Phil held his breath, processing the sight he had witnessed. the child shifting between forms was strange, yes, but not unheard of. It just so happens to have been Phil’s first time seeing a shift for his own eyes…

“Hybrid” he muttered, letting the hand slip from his, only to then reach over and ruffle the boy’s hair. “That explains this then eh?” he says with a soft chuckle, relaxing from the knowledge. Happy that the human boy wasnt actually a random kid and was just the piglin child he took in. his awkward smile softening before speaking again. “That startled me… I’ve never seen hybrids shift. I won’t freak out next time, promise” he reassures, earning a smile from the kid before Phil let him return to the kitchen table. 

Phil had to take another few moments of processing before he did anything else, having to take a breather before cleaning up the food and broken mess on the floor. Scolding himself for ruining their perfectly good breakfast over such a simple thing, although said simple thing was quite a shock. He himself was a hybrid, yes, but his wings where a permanent attachment. He couldn’t simply will them away whenever he wished, its why it was such a shock. A shock that stunned him enough to lose track of time.

Phil’s wings flexed on impulse, thinking on the situation made him recognise the appendages he was so used to. When had been the last time he used them? Took to the skies and flown just for fun. The reality slowly sunk in that he had also, not only forgotten most of his adventuring skills, he forgot how to fly. Phil decided to push the thought away, moving to dig out a few apples for breakfast instead and heads to sit opposite the piglin. His smile returns as he reaches one out to them, noting they are again a human child, realising that he did that to be able to turn the book pages easier.

“Here, we can have this for breakfast instead” Phil spoke, prompting the child to look up. He smiled and accepted the apple, sitting back in his seat and taking a bite from the fruit happily. Phil chuckled, taking a small bite of his own, speaking soon after he finished said bite. “So, I've realised you don't know my name. And apparently, you can read… so! For introductions, my names Philza, but you may call me Phil.” he spoke calmly, the child listening intently to his words as he enjoyed his apple breakfast. 

The child nodded, sitting up and opening its mouth to speak. Yet all that escaped was a small noise, surprising the kid who looked just as confused at Phil. “do you not know how to speak?” he asked, earning a nod in return, “jeez… well, I can teach you. Let's start simple for now, okay?”

The child nodded, putting his now finished apple on the table before patiently looking at Phil, smiling expectantly for his lesson. Phil chuckled softly, adjusting his sitting position to be more alert. It was going to be difficult, he’s never taught a kid anything before, let alone basic speech. 

“Alright,” he began “let's go with my name first, so you can call for me if needed.” Phil continued, waiting for the kid to nod before continuing. “So, let's go with a dry run. Try saying, Phil.”

The hybrid child hesitated, thinking over what he had to say before giving an attempt. “Ph.. phi... Ll..” he spoke, pausing to think over it again, his gaze glaring into the table “Phil… Phil!” he finally said, looking to Phil with pride clear in his eyes. Yet Phil’s expression was a clear shock, he didn't expect him to pick it up so god damn easy…

“Good!” Phil complimented, recovering from his second shock of the day, “well done, you did great. That was fast” he let out a soft chuckle, leaning over to ruffle the kid's hair again. Earning a small laugh from him, Phil’s heart swelling with warmth and pride for the kid within seconds.

“now, “ he starts, leaning back “how about we try your name, do you have one?” His question was reasonable enough, he had yet to hear the boy’s name or even ask. But the look on the kids face made something in him sink. The child staring at him with a small frown before shaking his head solemnly, his once prideful gaze turning down to look at his lap. 

“Well… that's okay, we can find you one,” Phil responds, keeping his smile soft as he thought. “How about you find one in these books, there is plenty here for you to choose,” Phil suggests, catching the kids attention who’s head shot up, a smile replacing his solemn expression. Phil took the initiative to pick out a book on the table, moving back the chair slightly and becoming the kid to sit with him. The hybrid soon slipping out of his own seat to run around the kitchen table before climbing into Phil's lap, almost like it was a usual experience for the two. 

Phil waited for the kid to get comfortable to move back into the table with the chair, opening the book in front of them and softly talking over the words and name suggestions for the boy. Making sure to give time for him to read the pages before turning them to the next. The time around them slowed as they both were sucked into the moment, Phil explaining a few words and even teaching the child a few as they searched from book to book for a name the kid liked the most. 

“‘Technology has advanced over time’” Phil quoted, reading out an extract within the book they currently had open. Yet before he could continue, the child pointed to a word. “Technology?” Phil questioned, raising an eyebrow at the kid's suggestion. The kid nodded, then used his hand to cover a few letters at the end of the word, looking up to Phil with determination in his eyes. 

“Techno…” Phil read, then looked down to the excitable kid in his lap “you want that as your name?” he asked, putting the book down in surprise then the kid jumped up to stand in Phil's lap, smiling widely.

“Techno!” the hybrid mimicked, stars almost shining in his eyes at the name confirmation. Only making Phil burst into laughter at his actions, the kid- Techno, soon joining in. 

“Alright kid, you’re Techno now,” Phil spoke, finally calming from his fit. “It's nice to meet you techno.”

Techno nodded, then sat back down in Phil's lap with his smile not calming one bit. “Phil!” he responded, feeling more at home already. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBeta Readers:  
> Blue  
> Potat  
> Ethan


	3. Chapter 3 - Training Manual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil helps clean up Techno before introducing him to nature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took me. so fucking long. I was experiencing an immense amount of writer's block and ik it's been a full month since my last update but I hope you can forgive. my usual writing minimum is 2000 words and I was halfway through that with no ideas and I swear I forgot how to write at some point but besides that! I have this up now and ill start on the 4th chapter as soon as I have a good idea of what to put in and when I have time cuz college is back so aaaaaaaaaaa
> 
> »»——⍟——««
> 
> word count: 1814  
> posted on: 12/01/2021 10:40 Pm

Lake water rippled from the droplets being shaken from the child’s hair, making an attempt to dry himself off as much as possible. His obvious distaste of the cold being ignored by the older of the two as he poured another jugful of water over his head, a hand coming to assist the water in cleaning out the soap bubbles that were scrubbed into Techno’s chocolate strands. Clearing away the dirt and ash the nether had dusted over the kids skin and nestled into his roots, leaving Techno’s skin and hair look lighter and no longer stained with the hell remnants he arrived with. 

The hybrid sat in his human state, having been told it would be easier to bathe him if he had less fur. Yet it, unfortunately, meant he was exposed to the cold more, something the nether born hybrid hated. The drastic temperature difference from the nether to the overworld was almost unbearable, but Techno did quite enjoy the warmth his blanket and the fireplace would bring him. 

“Almost over” Phil spoke, pouring another load of water over Techno’s head, letting out a small chuckle at the yelp the child let escape. Turning to glare over his shoulder at his winged saviour, Phil shaking his head with a small smile in return. “Alright grumpy,” he chuckles, reaching next to him to grab a fluffy black towel “your good now, let’s get you inside and by the fire.” Techno stood, soon getting wrapped up tightly in the warm fabric before being taken in Phil’s arms. The older of the two standing with the younger in his arms and heading back to his gated estate. 

Entering the home after securing the gates and doors, Phil moves to place Techno down by the unlit fireplace. Taking a few logs from a basket and tossing them into the brick display, then grabbing a flint and steel and after a few hits, the fire began to burn. Techno’s eyes widening at the flash of flames that sprouted and engulfed the logs, coating him in a blanket of warmth. The child turning his head to smile at Phil, appreciative of the warmth. Phil smiles back, soon getting up and excusing himself, leaving the piglin hybrid to dry off.

Techno sat staring into the flickering flames, the familiar warmth the roaring embers gave off made him feel safe. At home. Home, with his saviour, his guardian. The man who had healed him in his time of need and gave him a place to stay in this strange unknown world he had never been exposed to. The overworld was confusing, there was no permanent cavernous ceiling, just a vast sky in a strange colour he had only ever seen in those strange forests. The temperature was cool, almost too cool, but the fine-grained area he had portaled too was the perfect amount of cool. Along with that, the strange landscapes and buildings made of wood that wasnt either purple or blue. The tanned planks and brown logs of the houses and trees startled him at first, not to mention the animals he had seen or even Phil in general! Phil had yellow hair, he was human too (mostly, minus the wings) and seemed to be fine with the cool temperatures of his home.

“Hey, kid” Phil’s voice made Techno jump a bit, the startled hybrid looking over to the source. Seeing the smiling face of his saviour as he moved to sit beside him, a bundle of fabric in his arms. “Found some clothes that might fit you, for now, we can go get some more tomorrow.” he continued, placing the folded pile in front of him before reaching a hand over to pet techno’s head. Ruffling his damp hair slightly, Phil spotted the smile plastered on techno’s face. Filled with the same admiration he had held earlier that day, startling him again with how comfortable this kid was around him. 

“Here,” He started, removing his hand from the hybrids head before moving to pick the clothes up again, “let’s get you dressed, then we can show you around the area.”

Dressing a child in his old clothes wasnt as easy as Phil expected it to be, making him wish he had read at least a few pages of the parenting book before diving headfirst into caring for the kid till he could go home. The first issue to arise was the sheer size of the clothes compared to Techno. This child, that looked around six at the latest, had no possible chance of fitting into the clothes that Phil had worn when he was a teen. Phil had to improvise, fitting the hybrid child into an old pair of shorts that was secured with a cut off slip of the red blanket, that techno clung to, as a makeshift belt. As for the shirt, Phil used the smallest one he could find, tucking it onto the shorts to help him look slightly decent in the makeshift outfit. 

With a sigh, Phil gently placed the golden headdress back onto Techno’s head. Finalising the scrappily put together outfit before he could collapse back onto his sofa, techno soon climbing on to join him in staring at the flickering embers. Techno didn’t seem to mind the makeshift clothes, in fact, he actually sat there with a warm smile. Waiting patiently for Phil, to follow his guardian wherever he saw fit. 

“Alright” Phil began, sitting up and looking across the messy lounge floor “let’s go outside. We can explore the gated area for today. Sound good?” Phil turned to look over at the brunette child, awaiting the usual silent nodding he got in return of his questions. Then, after receiving the silent yes, he led Techno out of the house.

Phil sat in the grass, letting techno walk off and explore. The small hybrid taking on his piglin form before running off to chase a few butterflies that decided to rest on some daisies, the insects fluttering away at the sight of the kid. Leaving techno amazed by their colourful wings, only making him chase after them with more determination.    
Watching Techno, Phil kept his sapphire gaze on his excitable self. humoured by the sheer fascination he had with the world, that wide-eyed curiosity reminding him somewhat of his own younger self. An explorer in the need to find things, fight things, create things. Careful with his own hint of carelessness in how his younger self acted, it was refreshing almost to see a young soul that was very much like himself in a way.

Techno soon gave up on chasing the bugs, moving on to inspect the fenced-off area of growing crops, momentarily glancing at philza before continuing to eye the plants as they swayed in the afternoon’s wind. The piglins mind wiring on what the strange green things where. They were certainly not like the plants he has seen before. No winding bright red vines or mushrooms growing from the netherack. 

Phil watched as the child’s curiosity grew, choosing to let him find his way himself. There were a variety of books on the subject of growing plants and whatnot that he could lend to him, independent learning was important for young minds. With this, Phil tore his eyes away from the kid, looking towards the sky at the growing number of dark clouds that began to gather above them. A hopeful smile forming on Phil’s face, rain would be good to learn about early on. Techno was already wary about water, however, so his displeasure for the lake might be shown once again as the rainfall comes in. 

A clash of rumbling thunder startles the man, pulling him from his thoughts almost instantly. Right before the impact of a sack of potatoes hit his chest, the brunette child clinging to him in fear as the second clash and rumble rang through the air. Phil adjusted himself, glad he didn’t get knocked down by Techno when he charged at him full force. Wrapping his arms around the child’s shaking form as he analysed the situation, soon letting a soft sigh escaped his lips.

“Techno” the blond began, “its just thunder, it won’t hurt you” yet his explanation fell on deaf ears. Techno was still shaking, hands covering his ears in a desperate attempt to block out the sounds. Having put his trust in Phil to protect him from the danger. The loud rumble that came from the sky shaking him to his very core. 

Phil stared down at him, taking a second before he adjusted his arms to support Techno as he stood. Looking out at the quickly approaching clouds, the rain slowly beginning to pitter down around them. Taking the kid inside, Phil headed straight to his shelf. Slipping out a disc and swapping it with the previous disc that was in the jukebox. Starting the music, the calm melody filled the cavern, blocking out the pelting rain of the oncoming storm. 

Grabbing a few books with one hand, he headed to the couch and sat down. Removing his support from around techno and letting him sit in his lap he placed the books down beside them, watching as the piglin slowly removed his hands from his ears. Calming in the soft tones of the disc, his fear rippling away as he calmed. 

“There, much better” Phil spoke, “wouldn’t you say?” Techno looked up, seeing his saviour’s calm smile only solidifying his safety in his mind. Letting him relax, his body no longer shaking as he returned the soft smile, nodding in return to the question. Phil let a soft chuckle escape him before reaching to pick up one of the novels he had brought over, soon handing it to the inevitably curious child. 

“Here, its on nature. I think it would help you understand living here for the time being. Don’t you agree?” He explained, letting techno take the novel from his hands. “Wish for me to read it to you?” he asked, his hand moving to ruffle Techno’s hair, only earning a small grunt in return before having the book held up to him as a silent answer. Nodding calmly, Phil took the book and opened the cover, soon beginning to read to the piglin. The music muting the thundering rain from beyond the cabin walls, Phil determined to use this moment to distract Techno from his fears. 

Letting time slip away as the pair read, the darkening sky and slowed pitter-patter of rain on the windows combined with Phil’s calm voice lulled Techno into a soft sleep. Soon being moved to rest on the area beside Phil, his head leaning in his saviour’s lap as a makeshift cushion. Phil smiled, closing the nature novel before picking up his next read. Eyeing the simplistic cover before opening onto the first page. 

Chapter 1: An Introduction to parenting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers:  
> Blue  
> Potat  
> Ethan


	4. Chapter 4 - A Soldier & His Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Visit to the town could only end in bloodshed and learning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> got this one out faster than the others! I had fun thinking up ideas for this and the future, I hope you're prepared.  
> big shout out to my lovely beta readers Blue, Potat and Ethan! your all amazing and have helped a lot with this one! <3
> 
> »»——⍟——««
> 
> word count: 2101  
> posted: 24/01/2021 01:28AM

The chime of the library’s entry-bell rung through the small quarters, welcoming the man and his child companion as he approached the librarian. He spoke in hushed tones to the owner, releasing the hooded child’s hand from his own as he reached into his ‘inventory’ to gather his borrowed books. Their friendly conversation soon being muted by the younger, his curiosity pulled him away from the adults to begin reading the titles along the binds. Each world of written mystery dragged him further and further away from his guardian, turning a corner and disappearing from the winged man’s sight.

Techno pulled the brown hood off of his head, bringing a small hand up in a feeble attempt at calming his untamable hair. Chocolate eyes scanned the coded shelves, none seeming interesting to him. This place was strange, a home of literature, a library as Phil said. Books were rare in the nether, many holding ancient scriptures in a language he couldn’t process. One that was found amongst the piglins he lived with was almost instantly claimed by him to attempt to decipher. Eventually, through that, he slowly learnt how to read. It was the speaking he had issues with; none of the piglins around him ever spoke a word of English, just low grunts and wordless actions. For this, he was glad Phil took the time to start teaching him English. It was fun, and even though he had only been learning for a few days, he had a basic grasp of the rudimentary concepts. 

The hybrid slowed to a stop before a tall bookshelf, his curious gaze travelling along the spines of ancient scriptures. Eventually, it settled on a particular book that caught his interest, reaching up on his tip-toes as he slipped the tome from the shelf. Techno glanced at the cover for a moment, analysing the words that were pressed upon the leather binding before he turned, quick in his steps, to Phil’s side. Reaching to tug lightly on the older man’s shirt, he soon gained his attention.

Phil turned his gaze away from the librarian, looking down at the small hybrid with a calm smile. Curiously taking the book offered to him, his sapphire eyes searching the cover for a moment. He raised an eyebrow as he looked back down to Techno. 

“‘The Art Of War?’” he questioned, “do you want me to borrow it for you?”

“Yes,” Techno replied, shyly grinning up at him. He shuffled his feet, a look of such nervousness in his eyes that Phil couldn’t even have denied him if he wanted to.

“Please, Phil?”

“Alright,“ he agreed, turning back to the librarian and calmly requesting for the book. Techno’s eyes widened with excitement, watching as Phil slipped the book into his ‘Inventory’, promising that Techno could get it back when they returned home, seeing as they would be busy for a while. 

Finishing his transaction, Phil bid the librarian a good day and took Techno’s hand in his as they left the building. The morning sun illuminated the bustling town centre, as villagers went about their day, paying no mind to the visitors. Phil leads his companion along by the hand, making sure he wouldn’t lose the small hybrid amongst the crowd. 

This was Techno’s first time in the town when it was busy; their last visit had been extremely brief, having to sneak out during the early sunrise to avoid the massive crowds. They were only in town to get clothes for the piglin at the tailor’s shop, which resulted in the child’s current attire. He found the clothing comfortable, much softer than the rags from the nether. Made from the skin of hoglins, it wasn’t all that favourable compared to the soft silks from the overworld. 

“Here,” Phil spoke, pushing open the door of a small store.“We’re just going to have a quick look around, I’ll let you wander. Tell me if you find anything you like.”

Phil ruffled the child’s hair before letting go of his hand and making his way to speak with the man at the counter, greeting him with a friendly smile. Techno just smiled, excitedly making his way towards the shelves and cases of found goods. This was an interesting store, filled with old objects emitting the smell of dust and damp wood. The tags attached to the random items displayed low emerald pricings, despite the good condition the stock was in. 

“Who’s the kid?” quizzed the horned man sat behind the counter, a bored expression worn on his face. His elbow rested on the table, supporting his head. Phil turned his gaze towards the curious hooded hybrid as he looked over the shelves of items, letting out a small chuckle before responding.

“That’s Techno, I took him in a few days ago.” He responded calmly, looking back to the ram with a gentle smile. “Speaking of, how is your son doing? Growing well?” 

“Jay is growing as well as any normal baby, he’s with his mother right now.” 

“Right, and is she also well?”

“As well as any new mother can be.” he let out a breathy chuckle, gaze finding the wandering child yet again. 

“Where did you find him? This town doesn’t have an orphanage that I know of.”

“In the desert,” Phil spoke, arms crossing as his mood dipped. As he remembered the state he had found the child in, he couldn’t help but wonder, why was techno even injured in the first place? What had attacked him? It wasn’t an arrow wound, it was most likely caused by a sword or an axe. Perhaps from his own kind, but ‘why’ was still the biggest question lingering in his mind.

“Sheesh, really?” the voice of the ram pulled him from his thoughts, “Poor kid, good you found him then, eh?” 

“Yes, good indeed.” Phil nodded, his smile returning. “Well, it was nice catching up again, John, but we must be off. We need to get back before nightfall.”

“Of course, have a safe journey.” John nodded, sitting up in his seat slightly as he watched Phil call Techno over.

The piglin quickly made his way to his guardian’s side, taking his hand out of habit. Chocolate eyes peered up at the grinning ram, his nerves rising in the presence of this stranger and only calming when Phil moved an empty hand to ruffle his hair.

“Alright, let’s go. Say bye to Mr. Schlatt, Techno.” The blonde spoke, smiling down warmly at him

“Goodbye,” he softly spoke, eyes still sceptically trained on the horned hybrid owning the store. 

“And goodbye to you too, Techno,” John replied, nodding to the kid before looking back up at Phil. “Have a safe journey, and be wary of zombie hordes. Our golem has had a problem with them lately.”

Phil nodded, bidding his goodbyes to his friend before exiting the store with Techno. He eyed the sun’s position in the sky before the two began their long journey back to their home in a quickened pace, as to try and make it home before sundown.

The walk was tiring, Phil having to carry Techno after a while. The sun set quickly over the trees, darkening the forest around them as nightfall flushed a chill onto the two. Phil’s eyes nervously scanned his surroundings as he held his companion protectively, the weight of his sword at his hip giving him a sense of slight security. But even so, he was on edge. He knew that they weren’t a long way from home, just a little further ahead and they would be safe, but that didn’t mean they were immune from a surprise attack.

A quiet groan echoed from within the wooded area to Phil’s right, the blond’s pace quickening in the hopes to out walk the slow creature. Only to be stopped dead in his tracks by the whistling sound of an arrow shooting his way. He narrowly avoided the attack as he ducked, while Techno let out a soft shriek of surprise by his guardian’s quick movements, gripping onto the man’s coat desperately.

Thinking quickly, Phil sprinted towards the closest tree. Placing Techno down beside it along with his bag, he drew his sword and stood, instructing the child to stay put with a stern stare. Once he earned a frazzled nod, the blond took off towards the skeletal beast as it reared back to shoot another arrow. The shimmering diamond blade caused a sickening crunch as it came into contact with the attacker’s skull, and Phil watched it fall from the walking skeleton’s shoulders before he whirled around to take out the decaying corpse of a zombie. The rotten blood splattered onto him as he dug the blade into the beast, watching it crumble to the ground, dead once again. 

A shriek caused Phil to snap his head in his companion’s direction, eyes widening as another groaning corpse stuttered its way towards the child. Hot fury overtook him and filled his veins as he charged, digging the enchanted blade deep into the monster’s chest. A primitive growl escaped the man as he used the blade to steer the body away from _his_ child, letting it drop and pulling the blade out before slamming it down into the already dead mob’s skull. Rage fueled his every move, temporarily making him forget about the small figure huddled beside him.

A tiny whimper escaped Techno, tears streaming down his face as his eyes stared at Phil with fear. The raw rage that the man emitted sent spikes of terror into the piglin’s being, his trembling body unable to process what he was seeing. 

Phil’s sapphire eyes snapped to the shivering form, his expression soon softening at the sight. His mind worked quickly as he scanned the immediate area, sheathing his sword and scooping up Techno with his bag before booking it. He held Techno close as he sprinted towards his home, dodging trees as the lights of his house came into view.

Almost slipping on the water, slick, and dirt near his lake, Phil sped to the gate, almost slamming it open before clumsily closing it again, doing the same with their home door. His breathing was heavy as he dropped his bag, clutching Techno’s form close to his body. He could hear his sobs, feel his son shaking violently in fear. It had been a stupid idea to stop and fight, he realized. He should have just ran in the first place. 

Stumbling to the comfy living-room sofa, Phil sat down. He put his own shock on hold as he cradled Techno, gently stroking his hair. He had scared- no, terrified him! His stupid adventurer’s brain and his unbridled need to fight. His need to protect. He had lost himself in the adrenaline of the moment, and it was the worst decision he could have made. 

“Leaves from the vine,” Phil sang shakily, remembering the soft lullaby that had calmed him as a child. “Falling so slow.”

“Like fragile, tiny shells,” he felt Techno’s shaking calm slightly and took it as a sign to continue. “Drifting in the foam.”

“Little soldier boy,” Techno shifted in Phil’s arms, leaning back to look up at the man with wide eyes. His shaking hands still gripped the cloth of Phil’s jacket, listening intently to his guardian singing. 

“Come marching home.” Phil smiled, lifting a hand to ruffle the kid’s hair. “Brave soldier boy, come marching home.” 

Phil leaned forward to settle a kiss on Techno’s head. Seeing as he calmed down, he pulled him into a hug. 

“Im so sorry… I shouldn’t have let any of that happen.” He let out a shaky sigh, looking intently into his son’s eyes. “I will _never_ let anything hurt you.”

“Phil,” spoke Techno’s timid voice, “was... Scary.”

“Yeah, I bet I was, mate.” the blond chuckled sadly, letting go of the hug to sit back and look at the piglin. 

“No, Phil,” Techno began, shifting in Phil’s lap to point at the sheathed sword still strapped to his waist. “Teach!”

“Teach?” Phil raised an eyebrow. “You want me to teach you how to use it?”

Techno only nodded excitedly in return, grinning up at his guardian. Phil let out a tired sigh, realising that it was only time before he had to teach him anyway. It was in a piglin’s blood to fight, he reasoned. Learning early was good for them. He might as well start somewhere, and this experience could be helpful in teaching him about the dangers that lay beyond their home’s fence.

“Alright,” he agreed, “I’ll teach you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song used- Leaves From The Vine
> 
> Beta Readers:  
> Blue  
> Potat  
> Ethan


	5. Chapter 5 - Brave Soldier Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not all training days go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for this one. there gore and angst, please re-read the tags of this book before going ahead for everything <3  
> -  
> this is a long one guys! 8 odd pages here. thanks again to my amazing beta readers for the help! you guys are amazing and ill tag you whenever I can figure that shit out <3
> 
> »»——⍟——««
> 
> word count: 4023  
> Posted: 05/02/2021 3:18PM

“Phil?”

The morning was bright, warming the bedroom around the winged man as he slept soundly. He was exhausted from days of training, watching over and caring for his newly adopted child. Who knew being a father was so draining? Most mornings consisted of getting up early, dragging Techno out of bed, cooking breakfast for the both of them, and venturing into the garden to train the piglin child with a sword. 

“Phil!” 

A voice called for his attention, but the blond was too absorbed in his own thoughts. It was a young voice, a familiar one at that, conjuring the memories of the nether in his mind. It reminded him of all the times he’d travelled into the underworld through the crudely constructed portal hidden within his old home, from back when he was a traveller. He remembered breaking the nether portal after leaving his old base of operations to stop the scavengers of the overworld from sneaking in. It was destroyed, and yet he could fix it. He could take Techno back. 

But he didn’t want to. 

“PHIL!”

A solid whack from Techno’s wooden sword slammed into the man’s back, making him yelp and jerk awake. He painfully rolled onto his side, gingerly moving a hand to rub the sore spot between his back and wings. Tired eyes peered up at his attacker, carefully assessing the armed hybrid that stood before him, wearing a grin much too smug for his liking. 

A sigh finally escaped Phil as he let go of his back and sat up, wincing slightly at what would most definitely be a bruise in an hour. Slinging his legs over the side of the bed, he slowly stretched out his arms and wings, a yawn slipping past his lips. He gazed down at the brunet for a moment before letting a tired smile grace his features. 

“Hello mate,” he greeted, hand reaching out to ruffle the boy’s hair. “ W hat made you wake me?  Isn’t it a bit early for you to be up ?”

“I ’ m hungry , ” Techno explained, huffing and pushing Phil’s hand away from his hair. 

“Oh you are, are ya?” he snickered as he pushed himself off of his bed. Reaching to grab a chair sitting close by, he took off his shirt before lazily slipping his arms into his signature yukata, not bothering to tie it properly before following the excitable child with a sword into the main living area. 

“What do you want to eat , then?” 

“I don’t mind.”  Techno  climbed into his chair at the dining table, reaching over to swap his sword  for a book to continue his reading. 

“Alright, we’ll have something new I guess,” Phil muttered, reaching into his cupboards to rummage around aimlessly, attempting to find something a hungry piglin may like. Eventually, he stumbled across a box of oats, pulling it down from the shelf and inspecting it, before placing it down on the counter. 

“Let’s try porridge today.”

Phil didn’t expect a response, knowing Techno would already be far too absorbed in his reading to grace him with anything less than a grunt. Leaving him be, the blond started his cooking. Pouring the oats, some milk, and water into a pot, he placed his concoction over the stove, lighting it up with a piece of flint & steel. Phil then moved to start preparing various fruit toppings. Every now and then he would stir the pot of oats before going back to chopping berries, occasionally glancing over at the reading piglet to make sure he didn’t disappear or fall out of his chair. 

When the oats had finished boiling, Phil picked up the pot by its handle and poured the contents into two bowls. Sprinkling sugar over the top, he added bananas and strawberries to the mix, placing the warm, freshly cooked breakfast down on the table. He snatched the book out of the young hybrid's hands, laying it face down on the counter to save Techno’s page, then sat down across from his son, picking up his spoon and motioning for his companion to dig in. 

The two ate silently, enjoying the morning meal while the sun was still early in the sky. They savoured the peace while they could, before the pair inevitably went outside to begin their daily training session once again. It was their normal routine; waking up, eating breakfast, training for a few hours, then either spending the rest of the day teaching Techno new things or doing chores around the house. It was a good way to spend their time, having comfortably slipped into the repetitive routine after only a few weeks. It had become an unspoken rule to follow the agreed-upon cycle every day, and Techno seemed to enjoy it. 

“Finished , ” Techno announced, placing his spoon in the empty bowl before flashing his father a toothy grin. 

“Good, now go get changed out of your  pyjamas .  We're  trying iron swords today . ” Phil stated, sending the piglin a glance before returning to his  own  half-eaten  breakfast .

An excited grin spread across Techno’s face upon hearing the news, nodding before pushing himself off the chair and almost slipping on the wooden floors as he headed towards his own room, a space Phil had cleared out and made into a cosy place for him to stay. It consisted of a tiny bed, a bookshelf, a dresser, and various other decorative items for the piglin to place wherever he desired. Techno having his own room made the little cabin feel more like home than it ever did, filling the wooden walls with a calming warmth that was far more welcoming than the isolating cold the winged hybrid was used to.

After having finished the now room temperature oat slop, Phil stood and took the empty dishes from the table to the sink. Setting the bowls down, he decided to deal with the mess later in favour of heading back to his room to get ready. It didn’t take too long for him, eventually leaving his room with a pair of swords in his arms. He wandered into the living area, only to be welcomed by the sight of Techno bouncing excitedly by the door, his wooden sword clutched tightly in his hands. 

A soft sigh escaped the older man, and he mentally braced himself for this morning’s session before leading his son out into their walled-off garden. Jumping straight into their usual warm-up exercises, the pair fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by the occasional grunt of effort. Their warm-up consisted of a mix of various stretches, and a mini sparring round with the practice swords to make sure Techno was properly prepared for their next task. 

Phil stopped the practice match, motioning for the piglin to take a break as he left to replace the wooden swords with the iron ones from the porch. Swapping the weapons, he soon returned to Techno, laying them gently on the grass before kneeling beside the piglin. Taking Techno’s dominant hand, he slipped the heavy metal weapon into his grip, moving his hand over the smaller in case he dropped the sword. 

“Feel its weight?” he asked, looking over to see his son confirm with a shake of his head. “You’ll need to get used to it. The heavier the sword, the stronger it is. And the stronger it is, the stronger the one holding the hilt needs to be.”

Techno simply nodded, the boy’s eyes narrowing in concentration. Feeling Phil’s secure hand leave him, he tested the weight of the iron. It was a new challenge in his grip, a new feeling as he repositioned his feet to steady his form.

“Good thinking , ” Phil praised, taking his own sword and standing once again. “Readjusting your stance will help  distribute the weight evenly,  preventing you from falling or being sloppy.”

A proud smile slipped past Techno’s concentrated stoicism, nodding to Phil to confirm he was ready for what came next. The older bore a knowing smirk, testing the weight of his own sword before nodding back. 

The piglin lunged, sword loudly coming in contact with Phil’s, a glint of determination in his chocolate brown eyes. Phil pushed back, forcing Techno to retreat as he blocked an incoming hit from the blond. A surprised huff escaped him as he used all his strength to push back, making sure he could hold his ground before he swung back to attack. Techno struck faster than Phil had expected; the man barely had time to react and dodge, putting distance between the two to regain his composure. 

“Good.” was all he said before rushing back into battle, criticising the other’s movements every once in a while. Pride filled him as he watched his son recall and apply his teachings to his fighting, correcting his stance and blocking his attacks. He was getting better, and even though his size was a disadvantage, Techno was clearly ready to use an iron sword. He wasn’t perfect, (no one was) but after seeing how easily he adapted to his surroundings and the speed at which he learned, Phil was impressed. Techno’s level of improvement after the first few days was baffling. Then again, he was a born fighter, so it most likely ran in his blood like all piglins.

E ven if he was a hybrid , that  survival  instinct was clearly  present . 

Phil was panting now,  desperately trying to put some  space between the two yet again to  give himself enough time to recover . He could see the  beads of  sweat on  T echno’s forehead, the afternoon sun  granting no mercy as it beat down on them with sweltering amounts of heat. 

They deserved a break.

“Okay,” Phil began, dropping his stance, “ Pause , we need some snacks and water.”

Techno instantly dropped to his knees,  his  sword being discarded to  the  side as he  tried to catch  his breath . He lean ed forward on his hands as he  gasped for air , taking in big gulps of oxygen to soothe his heaving chest . Phil rolled his eyes at the dramatics, walking over to collect the weapon s before heading  over to the ir house.  Dropping  the  iron  swords  beside  the wooden ones , he quickly went inside to fetch  two cups of water  with  a plate of crackers & cheese. 

When he returned, Techno had moved to sit under the shade of the porch, barely moving when his  father  sat  down beside him.  Phil placed the small meal between them. 

“ Eat up, you need to regain all that energy . ”  He said, wasting no time  in tak ing a large drink of water, a satisfied sigh escaping him as he  quenched  his thirst. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Techno responded, taking a  swig  from his own  bottle  before digging into the crackers beside them. “The sun is warm, I like it.” 

“It’s summer. It gets pretty warm, but it'll eventually start to cool down in autumn.” 

Techno let out a small noise of disgust, shuddering at the thought as he finished  nibbling on  a piece of cheese. “I very much hate the cold . ”

“I know, mate , ” Phil laughed, “It ’ s clear with the  glare s  you send my way when I try to bathe you .  Frankly, i t ’ s  quite terrifying . ”

“I ’ m not trying to be, I just want it to stop . ”

“Not everyone likes baths, son.”

“More like  ‘ despise ’. ”

“Choose your words wisely,  T echno. Keep acting this way I’ll throw you in next time . ”

“Don’t.” He growled, sending a small glare in his guardian’s direction before looking back up at the vast blue sky. Eyeing the few wisps of clouds, he tried his best to ignore Phil’s laughter. A thought came to his mind after some quiet pondering, something that had been floating around the back of his head a few days prior.

“Phil?” he  asked , turning his head to the blond. “ W hen can I fight monsters?”

Phil hesitated, the question catching him off guard. He thought the experience had traumatised  the boy ,  and he immediately felt guilty for thinking such a thing . He didn’t want to have to take him out into the night , b u t this question made him  reconsider . 

He certainly had the strength, and he could wield his sword expertly, not to mention the fact that Phil himself had already killed his own fair share of beasts at that age. Techno was definitely skilled enough, so why was Phil so hesitant?

“Not sure, mate,” he spoke carefully, his mind processing everything too damn slowly. He looked to the brunet, his matching brown eyes staring up at him with curiosity. He was prepared, and with Phil’s guidance, he could probably take one zombie. Just one. 

“How about tomorrow night? We could  get ready  for the journey in the morning.”

Techno’s eyes widened with joy, opening his mouth to  babble excitedly  before Phil butted in. 

“But you need to be serious about this. We could get hurt, or worse. I will do everything in my power to protect you, but you need to promise that you’ll be on your highest guard as well. We can spend the morning going over the possible mobs we may encounter. However, we’re only going to have you fighting one zombie as a test. Got it?”

The young hybrid was taken aback by the elder’s sudden seriousness, the intensity in his eyes and the stern tone in his voice was nothing like the easy-going man he’d come to know. He nodded, knowing better than to disagree. He’d seen what the monsters could do. He’d seen the bloodshed. 

And it made him want to fight.

»»——⍟——««

The next morning was almost the same as the other. Being woken up for food, making porridge again (Techno seemed to like it) and leaving the bowls in the sink to clean later. Their training session went relatively smoothly, practising with Techno for a few hours until they took their scheduled break. But instead of lazing about, as usual, Phil used that time to prepare for their excursion. He filled his inventory with food and taught Techno about each and every danger that they could possibly encounter in the surrounding forest; zombies, skeletons, spiders, creepers and even endermen. He was warned of what noises to listen for, told of every possible move they might make, and what weaknesses he could use to his advantage. 

It may have been slightly overkill, but Phil wasn’t taking any chances.

Techno took it all in stride, taking each piece of information to heart and memorising every instruction given to him. He was aware of the danger. Phil had told him he could change his mind any time, but Techno refused to back out. He wasn’t afraid. Well, he wasn’t _that_ afraid. He definitely feared death, everyone did, but the monsters outside the fence didn’t scare him. 

He had Phil , and if things went wrong, he’d promised to protect him.

And Phil never broke a promise.

The night couldn’t come any faster, bathing the sky in pitch-black hue’s that  anyone else would’ve taken as a  sign of danger.  It was a screaming, blaring siren  desperately trying to warn travellers  of the evils that roamed the earth past sunset.  T he siren , however, went unheard to the pair, armed with swords and bags filled with  supplies such as  food and healing  equipment  (that ‘equipment’ only being bandages and mild first aid). 

Exiting their gated home, Phil and Techno were on their guard. Keeping close as they made their way towards the woods, Phil protectively kept his son within arms reach, scanning his surroundings while never letting the piglin out of his sight. Their steps were light and their breaths came quietly as they entered the woods, pushing their fear to the side while they ventured on. Eventually, they neared the clearing Phil had decided on taking Techno to for his first fight, a clear space where they could easily spot anything trying to sneak up on them. Yes, it was a considerable distance from home but they could venture back with ease. 

Their trip to the dark area was surprisingly uneventful, and the small region was completely deserted, much to Phil’s surprise. The pair used this bit of luck to their advantage, taking the time to get settled near the centre and drop their belongings. Phil even took the time to place a couple of torches from his inventory in a very crude imitation of a circle, sticking them into the dirt to illuminate the area. 

“Okay,” Phil began, looking  over at  his son with a stern look . “ A re you ready?”

“I’m ready . ” Techno  answered steadily , nodding to his guardian as his grip on the sword’s hilt tightened. 

Phil rais ed his own sword in preparation , but unlike Techno’s  iron  weapon , it was  forged from  shining diamond s. This was the sword he ha d trusted with his life for years,  and now he  was trusting it with his son’s. 

Times really  do  change. 

A rustle alerted the both of them, two pairs of eyes snapping to the source. Slowly, oh so slowly, they watched the decaying body of what used to be a man approach the light at a painstaking pace. Ugly groans escaped its broken jaw as the thing limped towards the sound of beating hearts, an intent to feast clear in its hollow eyes. 

Phil nodded, signalling to his companion that he could begin. He surveyed the hybrid’s approach, keeping his distance as a teacher, but staying vigilant as a father. Eyeing both the corpse and his son, he watched Techno steady himself, adjusting his footwork and tightening his grip on the sword. 

Then he attacked, pushing himself off of the dirt and leaping forward to plunge the blade into the dead man’s chest, earning a strangled moan in return. The brunet growled, using all his strength to drag the sword back out, only to raise it once again to slash at the monster. He reeled back as the creature began to lunge for him, watching it fall onto the mud as he wasted no time in stabbing his sword into the thing’s skull, waiting until it slowly ceased to move before letting his guard down. 

A breathy laugh of relief escaped  Techno , turning his head to meet the eyes of his father with a wide, proud grin  plastered onto his face .  Techno’s pride was mirrored in Phil’s eyes  as he let out a laugh of disbelief. 

“I did it, dad!” Techno spoke, raising his arms up in victory . “I did it!”

His words caught Phil off guard , causing his smile to falter momentarily from surprise.

H e  had  called him dad.

That single word  made warmth explode in his chest,  filling his heart to the brim with a tingly feeling he couldn’t quite describe.

He was his dad.

“You did it, son!” Phil  praised , lowering his own sword for a moment. “ Come on, let’s g o home before we celebrate . ”

Techno nodded, yet his grin faltered for a moment as he turned his head slightly, pointing behind his father to alert the man of approaching danger. Phil spun around, eyes narrowing at the incoming monster, the green patchy body of the hissing monstrosity making him groan in frustration. With a reassuring wave, he let Techno know he’d deal with the annoyance, gripping his weapon in preparation. He used his sword to quickly slash at the monster, only to immediately reel back on impulse to escape before the creeper exploded. Phil repeated this action, his reflexes kicking in after years of murdering these freaks. Eventually, the creature shrivelled up into nothing but grey powder, lying dead at his feet as Phil took a breath of relief. 

Suddenly, a gut-wrenching screech bore through the silence of the night, filled with agony and desperation.

Phil spun, eyes  widening as he  caught sight of the scene. A small, baby zombie h ad his son on his back, tearing into the tissue of his shoulder. That fast bastard of a creature  caught  them both off guard.  B right red blood splatter ed across the night’s grass, staining the ground and  the previously happy memory . 

Phil lunged, sword aiming straight for the little monster’s head, revelling in the fact that it dug in so easily as he pushed the thing off of his screaming son. He dropped the sword like it was hot metal, falling to his knees beside Techno and scanning his unmoving form before gently lifting the boy into a sitting position. His hand latched onto the wound, applying pressure in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. Techno screamed out in agony, the tension only making it worse. 

But Phil couldn’t do anything. He had no potions. They were too far out for the kid to survive the trip home  judging by how  quickly he was  bleeding  out . The bite was  too  close to his neck ; it was  a  fatal  injury ,  and he  was running out of time. He didn’t expect him to actually get hurt, he thought they would be more aware than this, more on guard. Techno’s sweet victory and Phil’s cockiness in murdering that creeper brought their guards down too low. And it costed them.

“Dad, it hurts..” Techno croaked out, his hand shakily clutching Phil’s tunic. A pained sob escaped him as he turned his head to look up at his father, tears streaming down his blood-splattered face as his eyes grew duller by the second.

“I-its fine!” Phil lied, desperately trying to deny the truth. “You’ll be okay! I’ll find something and-” his own sobs interrupted him as he pulled Techno’s body closer, clutching him in a protective hug. 

It was painfully obvious to both of them.

He was d ying . 

“Dad , ” the boy sobbed again, his voice growing hoarse from  all the scream ing and cr ying . “I ’ m scared.”

“I know you are, ” he stuttered out,  his own body  shaking as he cradled his bleeding boy . “ I’ m scared too.”

The pair were in shock. They knew what was happening but neither wanted to accept it. 

Neither wanted to leave  the other .

“It’s cold .. ”  T echno’s voice  was nothing but a whisper as his body shivered  uncontrollably. “I don’t like the cold . ”

“I know, mate, I know.”  Phil  chuckled sadly, pulling him closer and cradling the smaller hybrid. His wings flex ed and curl ed around the two to try and  conserve as much warmth  as possible for the boy. 

But the shivers didn’t stop; Techno was still trembling, and the blood that poured from the wound that wasn’t showing signs of stopping. The sticky liquid spilt through Phil’s pale fingers relentlessly, slowly draining the life from his son. 

Phil couldn’t  heal the bite , but even if he could,  i f th at didn’t kill him, the infection  definitely would.

“Dad, the lullaby, please?” Techno’s words came out slurred and barely comprehensible, his eyes going in and out of focus. 

“Yeah, yeah , okay kid..” Phil let out a soft laugh,  tainted  with a mix of disbelief and anguish. 

The weight of a body in his arms, the dread in his veins, watching the life slowly trickle out of his boy’s body and melt away; it left Phil feeling like smashed glass, a vase that had been crudely stuck back together to hold a gallon of his despair. His head was pounding and his body trembled as he held Techno in a protective grip.

But his dying son had asked for the lullaby to calm him, so  by god, Phil  was going  to  give it to him .  He tried to pull himself together, wanting to b ring  at least some form of calm to the frightened child before he fell into his inevitable sleep.

“Leaves from the vine,” he pitifully croaked out, “Falling so slow , ”

The body was heavier now. 

“Like  fragile  tiny shells, drifting in the foam . ”

He saw  Techno’s  eyes  losing their light ,  his blinking becoming more sluggish .

“Little soldier boy, come marching home , ”

He went limp.

“Brave soldier boy,”  Phil  sob bed , “ C ome marching home..”

He broke, falling forward as his screams echoed through the forest, shattering the quiet of the night. Anguished cries wracked his broken body as he clutched Techno.

His son was dead .

And the bowls from that morning were still in the sink. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wanna yell at me for making you cry? well, now you can!  
> Tumblr - Fanfiction-corner  
> twitter- Fanfic_corner  
> I accept all the anger uwu  
> and if ppl want I could make a discord server, I need friends plz. 
> 
> Beta Readers:-  
> Potat  
> Blue  
> Ethan


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